A Chocolate Lover's Guide to San Francisco

This might seem like the average Mission District ice creamery when you walk through the door, but one peek into the freezer case will have you eating your words. Their inventive, chocolate-based flavor offerings change regularly, but the two currently on offer are some of the most delicious we've tried. One is made with a chocolate porter from Almanac brewing company and stuffed with dark chocolate chips, while the second flavor is made with milk chocolate and malt. Get this combo atop a cone, which many say are the best in the city.

Trying to choose just one chocolate treat at this super hip bakery-cafe is, well, torture. Let us explain: Their version of San Francisco's signature sourdough bread is laced with cocoa and chocolate chips. Similarly, their breakfast carrot cake muffin comes flavored with cocoa and features a crumb topping, while their "traditional" croissant is shaped like a towering square and stuffed with chocolate (and topped with it). Need we say more?

Though many locals choose Miette for its pretty packaging and whimsical treats, the shop’s filled with glass candy jars and perfectly piped cupcakes—the chocolate ganache tart alone shows this bakery is worth its gourmet salt. The shop makes 20 gallons of ganache each week, using it as a glaze for eclairs and a filling for macarons too, but these tiny tarts pack the highest concentration of it per bite. The French sea salt finish puts it over the top. Splitting one is the best kind of messy.

That whole campfire thing doesn’t happen at Dandelion Chocolate, but you won’t miss it much when you’re digging into their signature s’mores. Nothing comes out of a plastic bag or paper sleeve here: graham crackers are made from scratch and have a perfectly crumbly consistency, marshmallows receive an ideal amount of char, and the chocolate is made from hand-roasted, smoke-dried cocoa beans from Papua New Guinea that are naturally smoky. Plus, each s’more is toasted to order.

There are plenty of places to get a milkshake in San Francisco, but none half as charming inside as St. Francis Fountain. This old-fashioned diner and dessert bar is the real deal: Established in 1918, it’s the city’s oldest soda shop. While the menu offers no shortage of throwback chocolate offerings, like black and white shakes, egg creams, and hot fudge sundaes, the chocolate milkshake is a perfect dose of nostalgia, with chocolate ice cream, a hefty dose of chocolate syrup, and a splash of milk. Thanks to the two straws, it’s also perfect for sharing—not that you'll want to.